Bridge Pose Defined

What Is Bridge Pose?

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana translates as "bridge-lock whole-body pose." Setu means bridge, bandha means lock or bind, and sarvanga means whole body. The name captures how the pose creates an arc from shoulders to knees, bridging the space between earth and sky.

Bridge is one of the most versatile poses in yoga. It can be practiced dynamically as a strengthener, held actively for endurance, or supported with a block for deep restoration. It's accessible enough for beginners yet remains in the practice of advanced yogis as preparation for deeper backbends.

The pose opens the front body—hip flexors, abdomen, chest, and shoulders—while strengthening the back body: glutes, hamstrings, and spinal muscles. This combination makes it particularly valuable for counteracting the effects of prolonged sitting.

How to Practice

1. Set up — Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Position feet so you can graze your heels with your fingernails.
2. Align feet and knees — Point toes forward. Keep knees tracking over ankles, not splaying outward or collapsing inward.
3. Arms by your sides — Press arms and shoulders into the floor, palms facing down.
4. Lift — On an inhale, press into your feet and lift your hips toward the ceiling. Rise from the base of the pelvis upward.
5. Engage the back body — Firm your glutes and hamstrings to support the lift. Keep thighs parallel.
6. Open the chest — Roll shoulders underneath you. You can interlace fingers beneath your back to deepen the chest opening.
7. Hold and breathe — Stay for 5-10 breaths, maintaining steady engagement.
8. Release — Exhale and slowly lower, articulating through the spine from upper back to tailbone.

Variations

Supported Bridge

Place a yoga block (on any height) beneath your sacrum. Release your weight onto the block and let the pose become restorative. Arms can rest by your sides or extend overhead. This variation is excellent for passive hip flexor opening and gentle heart opening without muscular effort.

One-Legged Bridge

From the full pose, extend one leg toward the ceiling while keeping hips level. This challenges balance and increases the work on the standing leg. Hold for several breaths, then switch sides.

Dynamic Bridge

Flow with breath—inhale to lift, exhale to lower—for 5-10 repetitions. This builds heat and strength while mobilizing the spine. Often used as a warm-up for deeper backbends.

Benefits

• Hip flexor stretch — Opens the front of the hips, counteracting sitting
• Chest opening — Expands the front body and can help improve posture
• Leg strength — Builds glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps
• Spine mobility — Increases flexibility in the thoracic spine
• Back strength — Engages the posterior chain in a functional pattern
• Calming — Supported versions can activate the parasympathetic nervous system

Common Misalignments

Knees Falling Outward

Keep knees pointing forward, tracking over ankles. If they splay, squeeze a block between your thighs to maintain alignment and better engage the inner thighs.

Gripping the Glutes

While the glutes should engage, don't clench them so hard that you lose the length in your lower back. Keep the tailbone reaching toward the knees to maintain space in the lumbar spine.

Forcing the Chest Lift

If interlacing hands beneath you causes strain in the shoulders, keep arms by your sides with palms pressing down. The chest opening should feel expansive, not forced.